Akufo-Addo and Mahama must not disappoint Ghana

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Berekum East Constituency, Dr. Kwabena Twum-Nuamah, has urged parties involved in the presidential election dispute before the Supreme Court to accept the verdict of the nine-member panel in order to maintain peace in the nation.

Petitioners; 2012 Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo together with his running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party’s Chairman, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, petitioned the Supreme Court in hope to overturn the declaration by the Electoral Commission about the victor in last year’s general elections.

President John Dramani Mahama was eventually declared the winner in the December polls, but the petitioners, raising doubts about the credibility of the electoral results, have for months now, been in the highest court of the land to challenge the legitimacy of the president.

After several weeks of legal battle, the nine-member panel presided by Justice William Atuguba is yet to give their verdict on the case, hopefully on 29th August, 2013.

Justice Atuguba indicated on Wednesday, August 7 after the court heard the oral addresses by Counsel for the petitioners and the respondents that the court will reconvene on Wednesday, August 14 to seek clarifications on the legal addresses filed by the parties.

He continued that thereafter, count of the mandatory 15 days within which final ruling will be given will commence.

Prior to the ruling, the NPP MP on Oman FM’s political programme on Wednesday advised the petitioners led by Nana Addo and the second respondent, President Mahama, to lead the crusade and accept the verdict on the fateful day it is declared; because to him, whether they “like or not, [they must] accept the ruling when it is finally made. Maybe it wouldn’t appeal to you, but you can say you don’t subscribe to it, but I have accepted the verdict.”

“History is beckoning on both of them...and I would prefer that they do well for Ghanaians to give them a good name in future,” he added.